Benthic line transect (LIT)

Each transect requires a transect number, depth (m), and the surveyed transect length (m).

Enter the benthic observations from the transect at the bottom of the form.

After typing any three letters of an observed benthic attribute, MERMAID will provide a predictive dropdown with names. This ensures that all spelling is correct and consistent. Select the benthic attribute by using the ‘up’ or ‘down’ arrow keys on your keyboard or with your mouse, or entering more letters so that there is only one choice, and then pressing the 'Enter'/'Return' or 'Tab' key to select a name. Growth forms can be selected from the dropdown list or predicted by typing.

Available benthic attributes can be found using the “Reference” icon at the header of any page. New benthic attributes can be proposed to the MERMAID science team for approval and addition.

The sum of the observation lengths entered should equal the total transect length. You will receive a warning if not.

The percent cover of each benthic category along the transect will automatically be calculated and displayed at the bottom of the rows. All benthic attributes belong hierarchically to a small number of top-level benthic categories commonly used for analysis, such as "hard coral".

NAVIGATION TIP

Use the ‘Tab’ key to move across to the attribute, growth form, and length columns. At the end of the row, press 'Enter'/'Return' to create a blank row and add a new benthic attribute observation. If the same attribute is observed but with a different length, press the ‘Tab’ key at the end of the row to duplicate the benthic attribute in the next row.